


Don't Mess with My Chicky

by SilentSpades



Category: Young Justice, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-24 08:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2575592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentSpades/pseuds/SilentSpades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Male Robins are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behavior. Which might explain why Dick Grayson is spending an entire Saturday spying on his best friend. Wally's got a date and the young acrobat decides it's not only his duty but also right to tag along</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Friday Announcements

__

_SATURDAY: CENTRAL CITY MALL_

_“…male robins are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behavior…”_  
  
Which might explain why eleven year old, Dick Grayson, was carefully scrutinizing his best friend two tables over. They were currently at Central City Mall, in the open atrium filled with throngs of people. Wally didn’t know he was there and Robin took every precaution to make sure that the speedster would never know.

Why was he spying on his friend? Well, it all had something to do with yesterday’s announcement…

ooOoo

  
_FRIDAY: WAYNE MANOR_

  
Dick Grayson was meticulously swapping armor sets for his companions. A grueling two hours had been spent battling an overpowered Harvester and the young hero found himself frustratingly overwhelmed by the continuous decimation of his forces. Trying to get the abomination in a state of well and truly dead was proving to be nigh on impossible. The monster was as sturdy as it was ugly and had the advantage of constantly respawning friends.

This was maddening! He was the partner of the goddamn Batman and yet here he was at the mercy of a video game. There was no way in hell he was going to let this go without a fight, Heck, he wasn’t above hacking the game into oblivion if that was what it would take.

Growling in frustration, the Boy Wonder began to direct his warden to the door when he noticed his own bedroom doors open. In swaggered his best friend. As usual, the redhead had a bounce to his step and a big smile plastered on his face.

“Hey Ro-Dick” KF called out as he stood beside the younger of the two. Both of them were still getting used to the name

A few weeks back, Dick finally revealed his secret identity to the speedster. Batman had not been happy but one look at the unwavering eyes of Wally West had softened the Big Bad Bat’s features. The speedster understood. This was an act of complete trust. The burden of secrecy placed on his young shoulders should’ve had him running but he shouldered on. He wasn’t about to screw this up, even without the “incentive” of the Batglare. Needless to say, now that the secret was out, they were practically attached to the hip.

Video games, comic books, TV shows, books, music, all of these and more were shared. Sleepovers were spent discussing anything and everything; culminating in an adult, usually Alfred, at times Barry and rarely Bruce, having to come by and get them to finally go to sleep. They were the best of friends and were also unstoppable pranksters with a penchant for dangerous tomfoolery.

“Hey Wally” Dick replied, as he paused to save his game. He swiveled his chair to face the speedster and noticed the spark in the older teen’s eyes. Was that joy hidden in those green orbs? Mischief, perhaps?

“Dude you know how much of a stud I am and everything?” Kid Flash asked half-jokingly. Dick could only raise an eyebrow at him and KF wiggled his in reply. He chuckled at his friend and being the magnanimous little bird that he was, decided to indulge the taller male.

“Of course KF, you’re an Adonis, a god among us petty humans. We offer sacrifices in the name of your freckles and bow down to your supreme immunity to indigestion”

The cheeky grin the Boy Wonder sported was mirrored in a green-eyed, red-haired version. Wally dramatically positioned himself in a pose reserved for hulking body builders. The lack of actual muscle mass on the lanky teen had Dick shaking his head in amusement.

“As you should mortal!” KF said in a booming voice, or what passed as one for someone going through puberty.

“Is that what you came here for almighty Kid Flash? To gloat?” He asked as he turned back to face his computer screen. A second later, Robin found himself face to face with Wally as the speedster spun his chair back in position. The freckled nose of his friend was only centimeters away from his. If it were anyone else, they would have found themselves on their back with a concussion. Call it a bat trait, but Robin didn’t take kindly to intruders in his breathing space. Then again, this was Wally.

“Well yeah, but my good looks and charming personality aren’t theonlythingsworthmentioning. Guewhogotselffriend?”

Dick blinked owlishly at his friend and was met with large anticipating emerald eyes and an equally large smile.

“Uhh…English, Wally?”

“I got a girlfriend!” the redhead exclaimed as he rapidly turned Robin’s chair around.

Ahh, so that was the look of smug satisfaction on his face.

The sudden spinning gave Dick time to muse over his friend’s words. The blur of movement wasn’t distracting enough to cover up the embarrassing little victory dance the speedster was enacting however. Finally, he reached out to anchor himself on his desk.

“Pfft! Yeah right”

As much as he liked Wally, which was a lot considering that the only way to possibly make both boys closer was through a surgical procedure, the speedster’s need to constantly move around coupled with his skills in inflicting brain damage via stupid jokes and most especially, his eating habits—honestly, watching the redhead inhale chicken was slightly terrifying—should’ve all rendered him undateable by anyone’s standards. Besides, didn’t girls require a lot of upkeep? Why anyone would want to take on the burden of making some girl happy over comic books, video games, new tech and pure unadulterated freedom was beyond him.

“I’m totally serious Rob!”

“Uh-huh, so what do you wanna play first?” He replied as he began to walk towards his other gaming station. He could always continue his game later. Now that Wally was here, they could play Left for Dead 3; he always liked playing as the zombies, especially the Smoker. Hmmm… or maybe they could finally complete the main story arc in Gears of War. Options, options…

The soft creaking of his bed, notified Dick that Wally had taken residence on the soft cushions. The speedster was making a mess out of his blankets as he twisted and turned. Upon finding an acceptable position, he then gave Robin his best kicked puppy expression.

“AWWW, dude! C’mon! You know me, I’m the Wallman!” Said Wallman then proceeded to stretch his arms out dramatically while pouting at the ceiling

See? The speedster having a girlfriend? Ha! Highly unlikely.

“It’s precisely because I know you, _Wallman_.” Dick sported his signature smirk as he glanced back at his best friend. Green eyes met him in a glare that didn’t have any heat and he snickered in response. Suddenly, Kid Flash’ eyes widened. He began fishing out his phone from his pocket and haughtily presented it to the younger hero.

“Look! I even have her number” the arrogant grin that accompanied that statement had Dick narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Robin walked over in deliberate slow steps, to irk his friend of course, and held his hand out expectantly. The phone was lazily dunked in his hand as the freckled teenager went back to forming blanket angels on his bed.

Sure enough, there it was, complete with embarrassing evidence of his friend’s permanent position as poster boy of the dork with his heart on his sleeve.

_‘Samantha Peterson ###-###-####’_

Along with the number came a picture of a blonde girl decorated with tiny hearts and sparkles. She was pretty, even Dick had to admit that. But that just begged the question how the _Wallman_ managed to get her as a girlfriend. There was something off about her expression though. She looked rather unimpressed or rather forced. It was as if she was humoring the speedster and nothing more. There was no playful crinkle of the eye, no softness to her smile, no slight head tilt, nothing.

Before Wally could reclaim his phone, the young acrobat pressed the ‘Call’ button and activated loud speaker. The sound of ringing filled Robin’s spacious room and despite being able to think faster than any normal human being, it still took Kid Flash seconds to react. Precious seconds that left his phone out of reach from a tackled Dick Grayson.

“Dick! What are you doing? Gimme back my phone!”

“I just-ow! Need a bit more—Wally! Your elbow’s digging into my back!”

“That won’t be the only thing dig—”

“Hello?”

That wasn’t his voice, that wasn’t Wally’s voice either. Both teens stared at the mobile stupidly and the high-pitch sound of a girl’s voice called out “West? Are you there?”

As quickly as they could manage, the boys settled themselves at the foot of the bed. Dick silently handed KF back his phone and the other took it with a nod.

“He-hey Sam, umm… what’s going on?” Wally answered hesitantly and Dick watched his friend carefully. This was a new side to Kid Flash. The older teen was usually an insufferable flirt. He had the ease of flinging out cheesy one-liners at the drop of the ball. He wielded a quick smirk and wiggling eyebrows like weapons. Yet here he was, fidgeting beside the Boy Wonder. One could almost call the speedster… _shy_.

There was a brief sigh on the other line before Sam replied

“I don’t know Wallace, you called me, remember?”

_Wallace? Seriously?_

Dick sniggered silently and turned to his friend. He was prepared to begin the merciless teasing of the redhead but he found that the words would not come. His mind was completely emptied at the sight of a blushing speedster. _Kid Flash was blushing._

“Oh… right hehe, sorry about that uhhh… babe” Wally scratched the back of his neck nervously and began looking anywhere other than Mr. Blue Eyes beside him. Having the little bird privy to this conversation was making him embarrassed. On the other hand, Robin found himself gaping like a fish. He determined that there was something utterly wrong with a world where KF could say ‘babe’ without getting smacked on physically or verbally.

“Was there anything else West?” the voice asked in an exasperated tone.

“Oh, uhhh… ” Wally trailed off but at the look Dick was giving him, he cleared his throat and replied more assertively “How about a date? Sweetbuns—errr…Honeyheart! I mean Sweetheart Honeybuns!”

Dick had his face in his hands.

“…Ugh, fine, West. The mall. Twelve o’clock, tomorrow and make sure to bring my science homework over, ok?”

“Sure thing, see ya to—” The line was abruptly cut. There was a moment of silence as both boys processed what had just happened. In the next second, Kid Flash turned toward his friend. His face was a happy mess of toothy grin and sparkling eyes.

“SEE!? I told you!” Jumping up in excitement, Wally proceeded to continue his little victory dance while chanting “Igotadate” and derivatives thereof, ranging from _“Datey-datey-date-date”_ and _“the datemaster extraordinaire, Wally West is…”_

Dick still couldn’t believe it though. An actual girl deigned to give his best friend the time of day. While Robin was happy and slightly proud of his friend’s achievement, if it could be called that, there was still something nagging him. What was it she said again? _‘…tomorrow and make sure to bring my science homework…_ ’

_No, she wasn’t…_

Eyes wide in realization, Dick turned to his friend “Hey KF—”

“Whoops! Sorry dude, I almost forgot Aunt Iris needed me to go pick up some eggs at the grocery store. Talk to you later Ro-Dick” With a quick hug, the redhead then left his room in a blur. Pieces of paper wafted up at the motion. Dick watched as they slowly drifted downwards, his head was running a marathon.

He couldn’t just leave his best friend in the hands of some manipulative harpy who’d milk him for schoolwork. Plus, this was Wally’s first date, ever. The expectations the speedster had probably amounted to the same heights as Mount Everest. He’d be devastated if things didn’t turn out swimmingly. As the thin sheet of white finally settled on the floor, Robin made his decision.

ooOoo

  
And so Dick found himself at Central. He was trying to catch his breath, having rushed over all the way from Gotham. He had run late, literally. Between having to stop a few punks in Gotham to traversing the impenetrable wall of aggravation that was the traffic jam of Central City, he was left having to make the rest of the way on foot. And so, despite his extensive training under Batman and knowing every major and minor thoroughfare in the busting city, he had still arrived dead tired, sweaty and thirty minutes late. Still, he was determined to watch over Wally

The date would go on as scheduled but it would just have to make way for one weary yet very motivated, overprotective and now hungry little bird.


	2. Date for Two?

_SATURDAY: CENTRAL CITY MALL_

  
Sabotage. That was the plan; it wasn’t the original plan but Dick had to make some adjustments.

Since he had arrived, Robin was witness to the glaring fact that this date was nothing but a ruse. From his vantage point, he watched as Samantha and company use his friend as a human pack mule. Wally West, the one and only Kid Flash, sidekick and nephew-son to the Flash, best friend of the Boy Wonder, hero, speedster, and all around goofball was being led around like a dog.

Despite the obviously rude treatment, the redhead took it all in stride. His best friend had shrugged off the additional company and took their luggage without complaint. Robin knew that Wally was utterly blinded by the pretense of his _“date”_ especially when Samantha was the pretty distraction. The young acrobat however, had no difficulty in seeing it for what it was: a scam.

Watching Wally lug around six additional bags had pushed him to alter the original plan of _stalk—watching_ over his best friend. He refused to let this blatant exploitation go by unpunished. Luckily, as the ward of the greatest detective in the world, it was second nature to do a little digging.

Samantha Peterson and company were a group of six who were high up in the school food chain.

The stocky blond guy leading them was Edward “Eddy” Varnell, a football player. The jock had a talent for sports but not much else. He had a mean streak that had him throwing punches at the slightest provocation; which should’ve proved a problem to his athlete status, if it weren’t for his father. A famous business tycoon, Varnell senior ensured that his son was handed the world on a silver platter, regardless of whether or not he deserved it.

The two girls following him were twin cheerleaders, Lily and Lila Stone. There were the school gossip machines. The more assertive Lila churned out harsh insults in a breath and traded secrets at a rate that was almost criminal. Blackmail was her weapon of choice which meant that she always had to be in the loop. Her sister was more subdued. Lily Stone was a pushover who followed her twin’s every beck and call. The sisters followed trends religiously which might’ve explained the lack of individuality.

The tall kid who had his arms casually throws about the Stone sisters was Daniel Pullman. The school player had dark hair and blue eyes. He had the good fortune of an easy smile and a quick laugh. He had relatively good grades and a charm that had ladies swooning to and fro. Pullman would’ve passed off as a dream come true if it weren’t for some questionable behavior. The guy was a well-known cheat, breaking hearts at every turn without the basic decency to be ashamed. In fact, he took pride in his dealings, often bragging about his _‘conquests’_ to other guys.

Along with the four came Meredith Taylor. A self professed artist and fashion diva, Dick knew her from Gotham. She was a transferee from there but she looked very different. From what he remembered, she was one of those snobby rich kids who believed their opinions not only wise but also absolute truth. She bragged about her ‘unique’ tastes and hobbies as well as the ability to tack on meaningless symbolism to anything in an effort to make it seem more significant than it really was. She was the type of girl to dish out long words to appear more impressive; whether or not she knew what those words meant was another issue entirely.

And finally, Samantha Peterson, a.k.a. Miss Popular. The middle child from a well-off family, she was liked both by her peers and instructors. She took part in a variety of talent and sports clubs. The blonde haired, brown eyed girl would’ve had an almost flawless reputation if it weren’t for one tiny hiccup. Online forums had her pegged as a scheming two-faced liar. Apparently, Peterson played the part of an angel, but that was all it was, an act. She was rumored as a conniving perfectionist who played up her friendliness and looks to get what she wanted. Unfortunately, whether or not these accusations were a hundred percent true, Dick couldn’t verify. Sources ranged from wild admiration to bitter jealousy; but his gut told him that there was some truth to them.

He had to wonder how Wally forged any relationship with these people. Dick knew their kind well, spoiled brats and pretentious twits—they were a dime a dozen back at his school.

How his little redheaded chicky found himself in the midst of these snakes was a mystery.

Upon further investigation, which might’ve consisted of some illegal data cracking here and there, the little bird also discovered that Peterson and company—Samantha especially—had some failing marks, notably in Science. And Wally was, well Wally. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.

Dick would’ve laughed at the entire cliché-ness of it all if it didn’t involve his best friend. Unfortunately, the redhead was too trusting, vulnerable to abuse. It didn’t help that KF was also easily bought by a pretty face.

As Kid Dork’s best friend, he had an obligation to assure the well being of the freckled boy. Which was another way of saying that he felt completely justified in what he was about to do.

Robin knew that this group of so-called ‘friends’ held nothing but a shallow bond. Their relationship was born out of utility rather than any actual fondness. It would be child’s play to unravel them; he’d just have to poke a few tender spots and let them do the rest. Their insecurities would take control and before long, they’d be swearing each other off. And so, the Boy Wonder swiftly made his way over to the group. He ‘accidentally’ bumped into Wally as well as Varnell. The footballer made out to grab him but Dick backed away and mumbled out an apology. Before Wally could recognize him, he slipped into the sea of people and disappeared.

A moment later, he clicked on his comm. link. He hoped that the planted trackers would do their job. The one way feed in his ear gave a brief buzzing sound before going live. The sound quality could use a little tweaking; he had to remember to add more noise cancelation features but for now, it would do. It was time to get to work.

ooOoo

 

The date wasn’t going according to plan that much was obvious. From the very beginning, Wally had to contend with Samantha finding him fidgeting with his hair. He had bothered Aunt Iris constantly on what to wear before heading out. She had proudly proclaimed that he looked _“dashingly handsome”_ —her words—but he couldn’t help it. He was a bundle of nerves who had to constantly recheck his reflection on the fountain’s surface. And so, his date had caught him smoothing down his hair with his tongue out and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Sam probably thought him a narcissistic idiot.

_Good going West!_

Things had gone downhill from that point. He expected romance, a chance to impress the beautiful Samantha Peterson. Sammie was dressed in a light blue dress and white sandals. Her golden hair cascaded down her back in soft waves and her porcelain skin was aglow under the diffused light of the atrium. Wally was bewitched in an instant. Before he could compliment her though, the unexpected arrival of her friends crushed the romantic atmosphere.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t bring himself to call this date a complete failure. Yet.

Turning his attention back to the older teen beside him, he listened as Ed regaled them with tales on last week’s game. Lily was watching the jock in rapt attention while the rest of the party pretty much ignored the blond.

At times, he would see Meredith scrutinizing him from top to bottom. Wally swore you could almost see numbers over the tall blonde’s head. _Jeans: 2, Shirt: 1.85, Vest: -3, Hair: burn it down with a can of hairspray and a lighter, Overall: wouldn’t touch him with a forty foot pole_. Wally snorted at his own musings, unintentionally interrupting Edward. The bulkier of the two roughly laid his arm around the redhead’s shoulders. He could see that the jock was annoyed and he was suddenly reminded of the blond’s well known left hook.

“Yo, earth to West, ya in there buddy?” He asked. Varnell wasn’t as bad as the rumors painted him out to be. Sure he was rough and a bit of a hothead but he wasn’t cruel.

“Uhh, yeah, sorry… just drifted off a minute. Umm… what were you saying earlier?”

Eddy smiled a little more warmly at the question. Apparently, showering him with attention was an easy ticket to the older male’s approval. “As I was saying, Lawrence was running off to the end zone and we only had ten seconds left on the clock. I was getting surrounded but then—”

“Are you seriously going to keep talking about that Ed?” Asked Daniel Pullman as he made his way over to Wally’s other side. The smirk he gave the speedster reminded him of another dark haired, blue eyed boy, but there was a distinct lack of Robin-ness. Dick’s trademark look always held that annoying _‘I-know-what-you’re-going-to-do-before-you-even-do-it’_ feel, but it was softer…kinder. Danny’s smile, on the other hand, was all sharp edges and raised eyebrows, not quite as charming…

“In case you haven’t noticed Varnell, you’re boring our _guest of honor_ ” He said as he elbowed Wally none too gently. KF rubbed his arm gingerly at the gesture and watched as the blond male glowered. Dan merely titled his chin in challenge. Why he was encouraging Eddy’s violent tendencies, Wally didn’t know but he was sure that if he didn’t do anything this date would turn from disappointing to over in a flash.

At the back of his mind, he heard Uncle Barry making some lame pun about that sentence.

“Uhh, it’s fine, I don’t mind” He said as he wedged his shorter frame between them. The two males barely glanced at him though and ultimately, it was Lila Stone who got them apart. The petite girl latched onto Danny’s arm with surprising strength and began to chatter on about milkshakes.

 _‘Milkshakes…mhhmm…’_ now that was an idea Wally could get behind.

They made their way to one of his favorite stalls, _The Mad Cow_. It had an outdoor dining area, which seemed a bit overkill for a milkshake joint, but it just so happened that this was one of the more popular spots in the mall. It was abuzz with activity as waiters brought over large drinks in equally big trays. The area was alive with chatter from seated customers and staff alike. As he heard the group begin to discuss their orders, Wally noticed that Meredith stood off to the side. He wasn’t her number one fan but curiosity got the better of him. She pursed her lips at his approach and raised an eyebrow as he asked “What are you doing way back over here?”

“Nothing, West” The way she said his name made him flinch but he steeled on.

“Don’t you want a drink? They have a lot of flavors. I think you’d find one you’d like. Their Berry Madness is—”

“I am not interested in saturated fats and sugar. Products intended for the masses, mindless consumers who willingly submit themselves to cheap merchandise for a brief respite into a state of sugar-high.”

Wally blinked at her words and she crossed her arms stubbornly.

“Plus, I have to watch my figure” she mumbled petulantly to the side

Wally chuckled slightly before shrugging. “Why though? I think you look fine” Taylor looked at him in surprise and that in turn had him over analyzing what he said.

“And when I say fine, I don’t mean like… _fiiine._ I just meant it like fine-fine, like… _normal fine_. Not the _‘babe you’re fiiiine’_ –not that you aren’t that kind of fine either but—I”ll… just shut up now.” The speedster said as he adjusted his hold on the bags he was carrying. He knew that his cheeks were on fire and somehow, he knew that if Dick had heard that social blunder, the Boy Wonder would be sniggering at his expense.

A sudden movement caused Wally to turn, interrupting whatever Meredith was about to say. It happened in an instant, which was luckily a speedster’s specialty. Lily was ordering their drinks, while her sister prattled on about what she was wearing. A kid tripped on apparently thin air and crashed into a waitress. His hand flailed out, hitting her tray upwards, sending it and its contents soaring in the air. An extra large shake and two others were headed for Lila Stone. Wally began to run towards her making sure to keep his speed within the bounds of humanly possible.

He successfully intercepted the drinks with his face.

The cold goop made him shiver as it slowly began to droop down his shirt. He couldn’t help but quickly lap at the side of his mouth. Hmm, chocolate, wild berry, and banana didn’t taste so bad together. A shrill sound broke his taste-testing and he felt something get yanked off him. Hard. Wiping at his eyes, he saw Lila glaring at him.

“You got my purse dirty!” She exclaimed “My custom designed purse!”

Wally could only stare at her in incredulity. So much for saving the day.

Dan was sniggering to the side while Ed and Lily took their bags from him. Whether that was done to help him or because they didn’t want to get smoothies on their precious belongings, the speedster couldn’t say. He had an apology waiting on the tip of his tongue but Stone kept yelling at him.

“I cannot believe you West! Do you know how much this cost? I had to use up my entire week’s savings and then some just to—”

“Lila, that’s enough.” It was Samantha who spoke. There was a brief moment that seemed the brunette was about to aggressively respond but she decidedly shut her mouth with a snap. Still, Lila Stone’s eyes were stormy as she frantically tried to clean off her handbag. She was pissed.

“Thanks for the save” Sam said as she turned to him and offered a small smile. With a handkerchief, she wiped away some goop on his nose. Wally’s heart was hammering in his chest but was offset by a disgruntled sound behind him. He turned but was only greeted by surprised faces. A worker came over with some tissues and plaintive offers for free drinks. It was all very tempting but the cold slush was determinedly racing down his chest.

Turning down the offer, the group was given coupons in compensation. They quickly made their way to a clothing store while Wally tried in vain to wipe off some of the goop. Sam led him by the hand and the speedster began to think things were finally looking up. Even Stone seemed to loosen up at the prospect of shopping.

Once inside, they all went their separate ways. Ed and Danny headed off to the men’s section while Lila dragged her sister away from the group. Sam looked after the girls and sighed deeply. Before Wally could ask her what was wrong, Meredith shoved a shirt in his hands and shooed him to the changing rooms. The speedster scratched his head and went on his way. He caught sight of Dan entering one of the stalls. He soon followed suit.

There was an innate instinct in superheroes, and sidekicks, that told them when something was about to go down. Whether or not it was a product of having to face constant danger and make life altering decisions, Wally did not know. But he did feel it now as he saw shadows pass by his stall. He listened attentively and he could hear the quiet shuffling of fast feet. He would’ve checked on it but it disappeared soon after. With a shrug, he prepared to finally get undressed when the booming sound of a door being banged open made him jump.

“Very funny Varnell!” That was Danny’s voice. He heard the telltale sound of bigger feet on the floor and he carefully opened his door. Dan was standing shirtless by the entrance of the changing rooms. His arms were shaking by his sides in anger.

“What’s your problem now Pullman?” Ed asked his hands crossed in front of his chest.

“This is my problem” said the other as he threw something at the jock. Ed caught it easily and spread it out to reveal a very pink, very frilly, very female shirt. The bigger male just looked on in confusion which seemed to only enrage the usually laid-back teen.

“You think this is funny? Is this some kind of sick follow-up to that prank you and your buddies are playing?”  
  
The question caught the jock in surprise. Hurt passed briefly on his face before anger settled in defense. He violently tossed the shirt back at the other teen; it hit Danny square in the chest before pathetically falling down onto the floor. Wally had no idea what was happening and could only standby dumbly..

“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on here but I really don’t appreciate your accusations, Rainbow Man”

“Why you little—!”

KF took the opportunity to move between both boys once more. This time, his arms were outstretched proving more effective but not by much. Danny was taller than him and thus had farther reach, while Ed was a hulking mass of muscle; and while he dealt with thugs regularly, he still had to act his part as the weak nerdy kid. He caught sight of the tall form of Meredith as she stalked her way towards them. Maybe she could help.

“Where’s Lila!?” She demanded snappily.

Orrr maybe not.

Whatever deity was playing with him sure had a sick sense of humor, when at that moment, Lila Stone turned a corner from wherever she came from. She looked equally furious while her sister tried to calm her down.

“How dare you Meredith!” She exclaimed while slapping down a _‘50% off sign’_. It clattered to the ground along with the frilly pink shirt. This was ridiculous. Wally didn’t even know what was going on. And now they were attracting a crowd. _Oh this was just dandy_.

“You have some nerve Taylor!”

“Don’t you dare try to impugn my honor Stone! You’re the one who so wickedly planted this in my basket” The taller blonde roared out as she threw a pair of pants down. They were big, almost thrice her size.

“What’s going on here?” finally there was Sam, surely she could settle this, whatever this was.

“Why don’t you ask Mr. Quarterback here Sammie?” Dan snapped and Ed promptly replied with a “Screw you!”

“Guys, calm down” Sam said with her hands up in an effort to pacify them.

“Great… Miss Perfect to the rescue” Lila muttered under her breath while her sister tugged on her arm to shut her up.

Sam narrowed her eyes at the brunette. Luckily, before the argument could escalate, a shrieking manager interrupted. The balding man had come out to check on the commotion but upon finding his merchandise spoiled on the floor, track marks left by the teens’ shoes, he turned tomato red in anger.

Nobody looked at each other and Wally seemed to be the only one affected by the yelling man. The group left the store haughtily, leaving the speedster to apologize and deal with the problem. He had to pay for both the pants and the shirt; they were not at 50% off unfortunately. Right after paying, the redhead was kicked out.

He found the group a little ways down. There was heavy tension in the air and Wally watched as they apologized to one another. It was the most passive-aggressive display the speedster ever saw. The redhead then recalled some advice Uncle Barry told him. _“Kid, nobody can stay upset with a happy stomach”._

“So… you guys up for some dinner?” at the looks given to him, Wally felt obliged to add “my treat?”

Gradually the group warmed to the idea and Wally heaved a sigh of relief. His wallet was going to be housing moths for a couple of days but at least it seemed to lighten the mood. While the group decided on where to eat, KF made his way to the bathroom. The smoothie was entering dangerous boxer territory and he did not want to be reminded of that incident with Captain Cold’s freeze gun and his privates.

Making sure there was nobody else in the bathroom, Wally quickly changed his clothes. As he looked in the mirror, he was reminded of how poorly this day was going. At least he was finally dry and clean but he wasn’t sure if dinner was going to cut it for this sorry excuse of a date. He exited the comfort room and briefly debated whether or not calling Dick would help.

He scoffed at the idea.

Dick was his _best friend_ , of course it would help.

He took out his phone and clicked the call button. There was a similar ringtone that rang out that had him looking around. Hmm… maybe it was a popular choice?

“Hey dude”

“Hey KF, so how’s the date?” Dick sounded out of breath

“Terrible, I’m not bothering you, am I?” He asked as he began to walk around with no destination in mind. He watched as people passed by. Lots of couples seemed to be having a great time so why wasn’t he?

“No, not at all, why what happened?”

“Weeeell… first a made a fool out of myself—“

“That’s a given” The Boy Wonder supplied while cackling. See? Even just hearing his best friend’s creepy as hell ‘ha-ha’ was lifting his spirits. Wally smiled as he rolled his eyes. He leaned onto a metal balustrade and watched Samantha and company, one floor down.

“Hardy har-har. Anyways, after showing up like a complete spaz, I then got a milkshake bath—dude we should totally get mixed berry, choco’nanas one time—and then there was this weird thing in the clothing store where they werearguingaboutsomethingbutIwasn’tsurewhatitwasbutitlookedreally…”

Dick sighed on the other end. Speedster garble. It really was a problem “Wally…WALLY!”

“Huh?”

“English, Kid Dork” Wally could almost see Dick’s smirk at that. He scratched his head sheepishly until he remembered that the other boy couldn’t see the gesture.

“I guess… the point is they’re just so different you know?”

“Explain”

“Well, you and I, we don’t sweat the small stuff. You’re my best bro. We get each other. While these guys—I mean, I know that it isn’t any of my business and that I should only be focusing on Sam but…” Kid Flash sat down dejectedly as he trailed off. There was shrubbery separating his bench with an adjacent one. The slight movement on the other side, as well as the bustle of people in the mall, was a good distraction but he eventually gathered his thoughts.

“They say they’re the best of friends, they practically advertise it back at school. But they don’t act like it. They have all these subtle looks and snide side comments they make when they think no one is paying attention. I just… I just wonder why they don’t treasure each other like we do.”

There was a pregnant pause at Dick’s end and Wally had to wonder if he had been cut off. He might as well have been, considering he had just spoken what could be considered the sappiest line in the entire world. He doubted even rainbow colored ponies could compete with the cheesiest things that came out of his mouth.

…He blamed Uncle Barry.

“Dick?”

“Here.”

Right there. If there was any need to further prove how in sync the two were, it was right there in that one word dialogue. At that moment, Wallace Rudolph West knew that there wouldn’t be another person who would understand him as well as Richard John Grayson.

“Maybe… they’re not really friends KF…”

That… was possible, even likely. That was also sad. Friends were important. Hell, Wally would go so far as to take a page from Lord of the Rings and say that friends were precious. They were the family that you made and that was equally important if not more so than any lover. Sometimes it even eclipsed biological relations.

“Thanks Dickie” Kid Flash said with finality as he stood up. While his date was in tatters, he wasn’t about to let this group, regardless of how mismatched, destroy itself

“Uhh… sure KF. Wait, what?”

Wally chuckled in response before he finally said goodbye. He made his way back with a bounce to his step.

ooOoo

 

Dick almost had a heart attack when his phone rang. Sometimes, Wally had the worst timing. Still, after running away from the speedster and ending up on some inconspicuous bench, the Boy Wonder didn’t really feel any vitriol for his best friend. Especially after _that_ call.

How the speedster managed to say the sappiest lines without stammering like he usually did was always impressive—and embarrassing. The authenticity of his words was still echoing out in Robin’s ear.

_“Stupid Wally and his stupid vulnerable yet stubborn affections.”_

It did make him question whether or not he was doing the right thing. After that shake fiasco—although getting Wally drenched was an accident, and planting trigger items—which he knew would have them fighting like cats and dogs, maybe it was time to call it a day. KF could surely handle himself. And maybe it was wrong for him to be butting into their issues. Plus, if Wally found out what he’d been up to…

Robin sighed. He reached up to take out his comm. link when he accidentally turned it on instead.

“West, what took you—what the hell are you wearing?” that was Varnell’s voice. The Boy Wonder pressed to switch but the only thing he heard on Wally’s end was static. Maybe it got lost in the chaos. He clicked it back and surprisingly heard laughter at the other end.

“Ahahaha, pink looks good on you dork” That was Lila Stone’s voice. He was confused. Wally wasn’t wearing pink, he was wearing—oh no…

Quickly getting up from his seat, Dick quickly located where the group was. He found them walking to a Chinese themed restaurant. The little bird’s fear was shoved right in his face at the sight of the speedster in a pink frilly shirt with a plunging neck line and oversized jeans. Why he was wearing that? Dick doubted even Batman would know.

Wally made a glib comment on whether or not he looked good while sashaying his hips exaggeratedly. The group was laughing at his antics, except for Daniel Pullman. The taller blue-eyed teenager demanded why he was wearing that which only earned him Wally’s sunny smile. The feed was faint considering that only Varnell’s link was working after the change of clothes.

“Somebody had to pay for the ‘soiled goods’” the speedster said, complete with quotation marks “And I’m not exactly a walking bank dude”

Danny seemed surprised. He was probably unfamiliar to this side of the redhead. Wally continued to smile unabashedly and that eventually broke the apprehension from the older male. The group began making the speedster the butt of their jokes and Wally didn’t seem to mind, even egging them on good naturedly.

While KF didn’t mind, Robin certainly did. His face was darkening by the second. He was furious. Screw all that shit _(woops! Sorry Bruce)_ about friendship, he was going to break this group apart. No one made fun of his best friend—even with permission—no one that wasn’t the Boy Wonder, Robin, and protégé of Batman.

_Wally West’s best friend._

Dick rushed into the restaurant after them. The place was packed and luckily, he managed to slip pass the moving crowd and occupy a table that was right behind the speedster. This way he could easily observe and hear what was going on with a small chance of Wally noticing him. He surveyed his surroundings, noting down which items he could use to his advantage.

The place had lush carpets patterned in red and yellow as well as other decorative elements including Chinese lanterns, flowers and various knick knacks tacked on for that Asian feel. The tables were circular with various seating arrangements. They were located in close proximity with only a small space for circulation. The patrons ranged from single diners, to couples, to bigger families and… what’s this? There was a group of jocks at the other side.

Now the question was, what could he possibly do with all of these?

ooOoo

 

After ordering their food, the group broke off in smaller groups for conversation. The girls were huddled on their side of the table while the guys were on theirs. The previous hostility had dissipated and the speedster liked to think he contributed to that.

“Personally, I always preferred using the Imperials. Speechcraft advantage easily gets you better deals at the start of the game. More profit for loot” Dan was saying as the other two listened. Ed leaned towards them as he clapped the redhead’s shoulder in a friendly but also rough manner. The blond really needed to get a handle on his own strength.

“Really? I don’t know man, I’d take Nord any day. Cold Resistance against Frost Trolls pays off. Right Wals?” Hmm, somewhere between modeling his new clothes and now, he’d been promoted from West to Wals. The redhead liked it.

“Hmm… I don’t know. I think I prefer Khajiits” he replied while rubbing his finger under his chin in a wise fashion

“Seriously?” Varnell asked wide eyed while Danny was nodding to himself.

“Yeah, that makes sense, _Westboy_ here looks like he’d be a cat person” Huh, Westboy and Wals… not the best of nicknames but definitely an improvement.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Wally asked the other male who smiled in return. Ed was also looking his way, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I don’t know. It just seems like you’d be the type to take in willful animals that do as they please” Danny said as he began sipping his drink.

“That does make an awful lot of sense… like one minute they’re craving for your attention, following you around and the next they’re suddenly gone” Ed continued nodding in comprehension.

“And you, _Westy,_ can’t exactly help but look after them… you’re a masochist that way, trust me, I know” Dan was now smirking his way and it felt very different from when they first met. Before he could reply, the waitress arrived with their food and Wally’s stomach grumbled in excitement.

He turned red bashfully and his eyes met with Sam’s, who sat across him. His date was looking at him now, really looking. He offered her a small smile before turning his eyes on the food. The piping hot noodles, fried rice and dumplings were making his mouth water and he barely noticed as Varnell made to stand. The jock was about to serve when he abruptly fell forward. His outstretched hand tried to find some form of support but instead knocked over the sauce for the spring rolls. As luck would have it, diametrically opposite of the blond was Meredith Taylor; whose very white, very expensive looking clothes were now a messy droop of brown.

She stood up from her own chair crashing it into the table behind her as she cried out.

“Ed! What in the world!?” Her voice shushed the entire establishment as people turned their way.

“I’m sorry Meredith, somebody pushed me!” He said as he looked behind him. There was nobody at the table.

“Uh-huh” She said with her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised. The jarring sound of Lila Stone’s laugh rang out in the silence.

“That’s a good look on you Meredith” she said clutching her gut. There was a dangerous glint to Meredith’s eyes that signified that she had had enough.

“Laugh all you want plebe. At the end of the day, we both know who gets to sleep in a king sized bed and who ends up in the dog house”

“Stop it!” Sam exclaimed as she stood up as well. At her scolding look, Lila and Meredith turned away pouting. Wally thought that was finally the end of it when the unexpected voice of Lily called out

“Quit acting like you have the moral high ground here Miss Prom Queen”

“Excuse me?” Peterson asked, surprised like the rest of them. Lily stubbornly looked at the short blond as she held hands with her sister. She gave a brief sympathetic look to Kid Flash.

“Oh don’t act all innocent. We all know that you’re just using Wally to get that grade in Science”

The soft words were the nail to the coffin. It even had the strength to make the group look away from the redhead.

“Wait, what?” the speedster croaked out

“As if you’re one to talk El, haven’t you been clinging onto Varnell for weeks on end because as I recall it _‘he’s rich and I need new shoes’_?” Danny commented from beside Kid Flash. The freckled teenager buried his head between his hands, this seemingly never-ending argument was giving him a headache and his heart felt the burn of tiny little pinpricks.

Meredith smirked at the twins, viciously adding “Not to mention that purse? What did your sister call it? Custom design? You mean that junk your mom sells in your backyard? I guess the fake knock-offs weren’t cutting it huh?”

Lila Stone was shaking in place. Angry tears were at the corner of her eyes “We weren’t asking for your opinion, you conceited bitch. Why don’t you stick to what your good at little miss fingers down her throat!”

The unsettling sound of clapping was heard behind the girl’s side. And the group, along with the captive audience of diners turned to view the newcomers. It was a small band of Central City’s football team. Danny visibly paled as he began the futile attempt to hide behind Wally.

“Bravo, bravo… Quite the performance” One said. He was tall, even taller than Dan and bulkier than Eddy.

“Lawrence? What are you doing here?” Ed asked as he stepped forward.

“Ohhh, just enjoying the show Varnell. Didn’t know you had prime entertainment and—well, well… if it isn’t Pullman and who’s the geek beside you? New boyfriend I take it?”

The comment had Wally squirming in place while Danny lashed out “Piss off Lawrence!”

“Gotta say, didn’t think you’d have a thing for redheads but compared to you, he does look better in drag, wouldn’t you agree Ed?”

Varnell looked torn at the question. At the expectant looks his teammates sent his way, he regretfully mumbled “I…I guess…”

In blind rage Danny charged at Ed. There was a subtle pull on the carpet though that had the jock tumbling down. Danny couldn’t pull back his punch and instead it landed with a ‘thunk’ right on Lawrence’s face. The football team captain’s looked absolutely murderous and the other guys were stacking on the intimidation. Lawrence lifted the blue-eyed boy right on the spot with his fist raised. At the terrified look on Danny’s face, Wally sprung into action, directly placing himself in the line of fire.

He hit the floor cradling his now bleeding nose. He knew from experience that he had a cut lip and a bruise that would last for more than a day even with his accelerated healing and…holy hell, that hurt! There was a blur of movement as Lily and Danny took either sides of him. Ed, in an astounding display of courage and stupidity, pushed away the captain. Chaos ensued. There was yelling and the breaking of plates and he felt dizzy.

All Wally could think about was the wasted dumplings lying on the floor.

There was a hand that offered him some ice wrapped in table napkins and he looked up to find Lila. Meredith was helping him get to his feet with the support of the others.

“Enough!” Sam’s voice carried out, stopping all activity “Stop it. Stop it right now! You guys are ruining everything. I told you to stay behind!”  
  
Meredith started to walk towards the shorter blonde in an effort to calm her down but her hands were slapped away.

“I don’t know why you’re all fighting when all of you are idiots anyways! We have the raging dunderhead who can’t think beyond his fists; the closet queer who thinks sleeping with anything that resembles a girl will make him straight; the self absorbed bitch who tries so hard to convince everyone that their family is not pop-tart poor and her sister the door mat who’s so forgettable watching grass grow is more exciting; and finally, the insecure hag who thinks that long words and artsy phrases make up for her lack of self esteem!”

She was huffing by the time she was done. Upon realizing what she said, Sam paled and ran as fast as her feet could carry. Wally knew he should be feeling angry and righteously unforgiving, but he only felt sad and sympathetic. Eventually the group righted themselves as management tried to get things back in order. There were whispered threats on Lawrence’s end as he held his broken nose; something about benching Eddy for the season. The jocks left and the rest of Wally’s company didn’t seem to know how to handle the situation. The redhead took it upon himself to once again apologize for causing a disturbance.

The bill reflected the wasted food and damages. It was more than he could afford. Mustering what little was left of his dignity, he was about to ask when a hand wrapped around his wrist. He looked up to find Danny shaking his head remorsefully. The taller boy took the bill off the speedster’s hands. He briefly checked the amount before paying with extra.

“We should get out of here” Lily spoke and they all nodded in agreement.

ooOoo

 

Things had gone according to plan, even exceeding his expectation. Robin would’ve almost cheered if it wasn’t for the look on Wally’s face. The rest of the group was also sporting different degrees of hurt and anger. The speedster looked miserable. Dick felt a wave of guilt consume him but at the same time there was an obstinate vindictive feeling in his chest.

Samantha and her friends deserved it. They weren’t completely blameless anyways and whatever issues they had, had been long brewing under the surface. Dick just so happened to open the pot and let it all burst out.

The look on KF’s face was still nagging at him though…

He watched as the group discussed among themselves. Turning on his comm. link he listened.

They were arguing as usual.

“Well we can’t just leave her there” That was the high pitch voice of Lila Stone

“Why not? We wouldn’t want to trouble her highness with our oh so miniscule intelligence” came the cold reply of Meredith Taylor. Strangely enough, Lily was nodding in agreement.

“Well she’s not the only one who screwed up” Danny added with a pointed look at Edward. Dick almost couldn’t believe how they managed to keep fanning the flames.

“Look man, I’m sorry alright? I didn’t mean it”

“Keep your apologies Varnell… it’s not as if I expected much” the dark haired teen said as he looked away

“Hey! If you want to point fingers, this all could’ve been avoided if Lila just kept quiet” the blond defended

“What? Don’t put this on me you—”

There was a sigh; a really loud, really long sigh that even Dick heard from his position. It came from Wally and the noise gained him the attention of the group. At his tired expression they all looked apologetic. A moment after, Wally shook his head and gave them all a forced smile.

“Well we better go get Sammie then” he said as he bravely walked over to Peterson. The rest of them merely watched him, not having the heart to go.

Robin followed his lead, his comm. link now proving useless. He was a few meters away and if he paid attention, he knew he’d be able to hear their conversation. The shorter blonde was dead to the world as she stared blankly in front of her. Her eyes were glossed over with unshed tears and she barely acknowledged the redhead as he sat down beside her.

Dick fiddled with the drawstrings of his hoodie. Now that he saw the result of all his meddling, he couldn’t help but feel a bit bad. A teensy little bit.

“I screwed up” She said monotonously.

Not one to mince with words, Kid Flash answered “Yup”

There were a few minutes of silence between the two broken occasionally by the movement of people around them.

Getting tired of the quiet, Peterson eventually asked “What are you still doing here _West?_ If this is about the grades… then…Y-Yes. It’s true alright? I agreed to go out on a few dates because I knew you’d be my one way ticket to passing” She said glaring him down.

With difficulty, Dick forced himself to stay put. He wouldn’t intervene; he had already done too much.

“No, that’s not… Look, I’m not here for that okay?” Wally said as he tried to calm down the already frantic Samantha. He succeeded, but not by much “I’ll admit, that it’s a real downer but…I think, right now, it’s more important that you fix… this, whatever this is. They’re your friends Sam”

“My friends… In case you weren’t paying attention, I practically made an enemy out of everybody. Besides, I never really saw them as friends, I don’t need them anyway” She said bitterly as she moved to leave. Wally firmly held her by the hand.

“We both know that’s not true” He said without any doubt whatsoever. Sam was anxious at the tone, being faced with such certainty was a bit unnerving—Dick knew, he was the regular recipient of it.

“What do you know!? You don’t know who I am!”

“I do though” the redhead said as he gently laid his hands on her shoulders. Wally was shorter than Sam but there was strength in his gaze that kept her from dashing away. “I know that you were the one who actually got you all together. I know that you befriended the twins even before they got to the top of the food chain. I remember seeing you giving them tips on how to dress and how to make the most out of what they had. I know that you helped tutor Ed when he was having trouble in Spanish and that you remind him daily that he isn’t just a hulking mass of a footballer. I know that you helped bandage Danny right after the more violent fights he manages to get himself into. I also know that when Meredith first transferred she had no one to talk to except for you. I know you Sam, and I know that you didn’t really mean what you said.”

Wally finished. His green eyes were bright but also stubborn and Sam couldn’t help the blush that spread on her cheeks. All those tiny details should’ve passed by unnoticed and yet here was Wally West pointing them out easily. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, finally accepting his words.

“I just… what do I do now?” She asked him desperately and he gave her a smile.

“You say _‘you’re sorry_ ’”

“But…I said so many hurtful things. I don’t think they’d want me back after all that”

Wally shrugged in response and light heartedly replied “There’s only one way to find out” He offered her his hand.

Dick could see the shifting emotions on Peterson’s face but he knew that even she wouldn’t win this battle. She took Wally’s hand and leaned down slightly. Dick turned about as she kissed his cheek. As he left he heard her briefly say

“Thanks Wally”


	3. Betrayal of the Transmitter

_SATURDAY: GOTHAM_

The  _thud thud thud_  of wet feet on the steps of the porch reverberated in his ears. On the way back to Gotham, the mother of all clichés, a storm on a bad day, decided to add to Dick's growing list of grievances. The Boy Wonder paused in front of the double doors of the Wayne residence and laid his forehead on the dark mahogany.

He had hightailed it out of Central with the growing ache in his heart pushing him forward faster and faster. He didn't understand the hodgepodge of emotions, he only knew that watching Wally mend any and all damage he caused left him feeling sad, annoyed, and if he was being honest, lonely. Being part of the Wayne household, Dick was no stranger to solitude, but this particular brand had him sighing in defeat. He closed his eyes as he let the sound of rain hammering down envelope him. The scent of wet earth and spring flowers was a good enough distraction. For a while. Until the sudden grumbling of thunder reminded him of how he truly felt. He was cold. Soaked to the bone and tired. He huffed as he finally opened the door.

The creaking of the heavy wood signaled his entrance. Alfred met him at the foyer; the guardian of the manor and its residents was holding a stack of neatly folded towels. His posture was ramrod straight and precise to a fault, but the elderly man would always have that fatherly, or in Dick's case, grandfatherly look of concern, regardless of how well he schooled his features.

"Towel, Master Dick?" He asked as he offered the items to the young boy. Dick gave the butler a small, somewhat forced, smile. He grabbed the topmost one and proceeded to dry off.

"Thanks Alfred" he said as he made his way up the grand staircase.

"Would you like me prepare some hot cocoa and cookies sir?" Alfred called out to him making the Boy Wonder halt mid-step. He was grateful that Alfred didn't ask what was wrong. He always just knew.

He supposed living with Batman required such astute perceptions.

"Yeah… thanks again Alfred" he said, smiling more warmly this time. Alfred answered with his own smile and a slight bow

"Of course Master Dick"

On the way to his room, Dick passed over the main study of the house. There, he saw his adoptive father hunched over the large desk, stacks of paperwork surrounded the billionaire. The young acrobat didn't want to intrude and so, he headed on towards his room. Not a few steps later, Dick paused. Maybe Bruce could help?

He began to backtrack but stopped once more. What would he even say?

" _Hey Bruce, I have this problem. I don't really know what it is, but it's this hollow feeling in my chest whenever I think about Wally and his new friends. Well, they're not really friends—I wouldn't call them friends—they're just… not. Oh! By the way, I also recycled some spare parts to make a new transmitter—I hope you don't mind. Anyways, I was wondering if you'd know what the problem was and how to fix it?"_

Robin rolled his eyes at his own silent monologue, but couldn't help but continue.

" _Nice going Grayson. Not only would you have wasted Bruce's time, but you would've also exposed how incompetent you are in dealing with your own issues. For someone so capable in dealing with psychopaths, hoodlums and the occasional world-ending disaster, you sure are useless and—holy cookies of Alfred! Now you're rambling like Wally!"_

Dick silently scolded himself as he continued on to his room. He vaguely remembered Bruce once commenting on speedster corruptive influence—whether or not he was talking about Wally or Barry, the Boy Wonder wasn't sure.  _Both,_  probably.

Despite not wanting to be a bother and needing a hot bath as soon as possible, Robin kept finding himself standing just outside the door.

"Dick, are you coming in? Or were you planning on doing that a hundred times more?" The deep voice of Bruce called out. There was a slight tilt to the Dark Knight's lips as Robin sheepishly entered.

"S—sorry Bruce… uhh, I'm home" he said lamely as he shuffled his feet. Bruce leveled a pointed look at his adoptive son which had the younger slightly blushing.

The older man went back to skimming through expenditure reports after a fond shake of his head.

Silence stretched out between them. Dick knew that they were still getting used to one another, or at least he was. He often found it difficult to talk to his adoptive father. He was Batman after all. Talking to the Dark Knight about mundane everyday occurrences seemed like such a ridiculously stupid idea. It wasn't that he didn't trust the head of the Wayne powerhouse; he just wanted to prove himself in some way. He wanted to make Bruce proud of him; as proud as any father could ever be of his son. So over the years, Dick's own standards on which topics were acceptable built a mental and emotional barrier.

But every now and then, Bruce would casually extend a hand and break that carefully constructed wall.

"Is there anything wrong Dick? How did speedster surveillance go?" the older dark-haired, blue-eyed person in the room asked with a brief glance at his ward.

Dick was surprised. He didn't mention anything about spy— _watching_  over Wally. He was about to ask when he remembered that he was talking to the goddamn Batman. He shook his head good-naturedly at his own oversight.

"It was…ok, I guess" He answered as he walked further in. The room was cast in a soft yellow glow from the burning fireplace and the various lamps. It was warm and had that oaky scent that made him feel safe.

Bruce signed his name on a few papers and marked corrections on others before finally setting it all down. He leaned back on his chair and signaled to the other before him. As Dick sat down, he asked "What happened?"

Robin replied briefly, almost hesitantly, but at the encouragement of his adoptive father, he became more confident. He recounted his day, sparing no details. His expressive recollections were backed up by the questioning and amused looks on his adoptive father's face. The small, almost unnoticeable tilt on usually stoic lips made him feel wanted—like he belonged. This in turn, reminded him of the sour note his Wally-watching had concluded to.

"I don't get it though… there's this uneasy feeling…" he trailed off. He wasn't sure if Bruce would be open to this kind of conversation. Talking about the events of the day was fine, but discussing emotions,  _vulnerabilities_  was… a different thing all together.

"I feel kind of… depressed? And irritated at the same time" Dick said as he looked away. Maybe this was the part where he got up and asked Alfred over a cup of cocoa instead?

"Like you're insecure?" Bruce interrupted his doubting and Robin looked up in surprise. "You feel almost possessive without any logical explanation for it"

That was exactly what Dick felt. Did his mentor manage to attain telepathic abilities while he was gone? Hmm… Batman with telepathy… somehow that was a frightening thought.

"How…did you…?"

"Can you recall the exact moments you felt this way most acutely?" Bruce asked as he leaned toward his ward. His hands were steeped in front of him, covering his smirk. He watched as his son mulled over his words. Robin was subconsciously nodding and Batman continued "And what do these moments have in common?"

"They were the times that KF was acting most friendly with them. I was jealous" the little bird admitted quietly. Blue eyes widened at the realization and he repeated it dumbly to himself "I was jealous."

Wally was the only person, barring Bruce and Alfred, who knew him both as Dick Grayson and as Robin. The silly but trustworthy and forgiving speedster knew both identities so intimately and still accepted the young acrobat. Wally West was his first and only best friend. It was beyond unfair how easily the others had gained the speedster's friendship. The way the little bird saw it, they were unworthy of KF's attention. They were deceitful, manipulative, and had planned to take advantage of the redhead's naivety. By tomorrow, they would start calling Wally new nicknames and make stupid jokes with or at him and they just didn't  _deserve_  it. Only he had that right. Those were best friend privileges after all

Not to mention, now that the speedster had a girlfriend and popular friends, they wouldn't get to hang out as much anymore. Always would turn into sometimes and those would morph into " _maybe next time dude, I got a date_ " or " _sorry man, but I made plans with_  -insert irrelevant person's name here-". Eventually, they would just drift apart.

The blue-eyed boy felt livid. Wally shouldn't be able to make new friends so easily. Wally shouldn't be able to wedge his way into anybody's life with nothing but a kind smile and bright green eyes. Wally shouldn't be able to change everything just because his heart was practically made out of gold.

Wally shouldn't be able to  _replace_  him.

Dick felt his heart close up painfully. The weight of his worries was crushing down on his thin shoulders. He didn't notice that Bruce had made his way over until the man laid a hand on his shoulder. Robin looked up at his mentor. Bruce had a soft sympathetic smile on his face; a look reserved for family, for Alfred and him.

"It'll be okay son. Wally won't leave you out"

The statement had him staring in shock. Sometimes, Bruce really surprised him. Dick wasn't convinced but he was certain that even if his best friend abandoned him, his father wouldn't. And maybe that was enough.

The thought made him smile and before he could doubt it, he rushed forward to hug his adoptive father. Batman stiffened slightly before wrapping his arms around his protégé. The moment lasted for a few minutes until Dick eventually let go. Bruce clapped a hand over his little bird and with a nod, Robin left the study. The Dark Knight watched as he left. He knew it would take some time for the young boy to get used to the reality of having to " _share_ " his best friend. He knew it from the experience of having to share his own son with a hyperactive redhead.

ooOoo

After a quick shower, Dick changed into his pajamas. Tonight was one of the few nights that Batman gave him time off from being Robin. At first, he had been obstinate, arguing against being left behind, but Bruce had been adamant that he get rest every so often. His adoptive father even resorted to bribing him with new video games and yet-to-be-released movies to make sure he stayed. That accompanied by the allotment of this day as Game Night with Kid Flash had settled the matter. Now though, he wasn't quite sure.

The talk with Bruce had eased some of his upset nerves but he still felt anxious at the prospect of losing Wally. He knew he was being overdramatic and unreasonable but he just couldn't help it.

He was scared.

His abandonment issues were clawing at him and the deep gashes left him open and raw. No matter how much he tried to logically think the problem away, it came rushing back in. Abruptly, he recalled Peterson's words.

" _They're not my real friends. I don't need them anyway!"_

While Dick wasn't so melodramatic as to claim that the speedster wasn't his friend, maybe this was for the best? Having front row seats to the crime network in Gotham, Robin learned early on that letting somebody, anybody, in left you open to liabilities. Maybe this could be an exercise into full-on independence. Maybe it was time to build a wall so high up and shove everyone else to the other side, to spare himself the pain?

 _Nope_ , that sounded too depressing to be his M.O.

There was a distinct knock on his door that signaled Alfred's entry. The elderly man informed him that the cookies and cocoa were ready and he nodded absentmindedly, almost dejectedly. The graying butler tutted at him briefly, which reminded him of his manners. Robin was quick to apologize as he followed Alfred downstairs.

Once they neared the kitchen, Alfred added, as if it were an afterthought "Master Wallace has also arrived sir"

Dick started at the statement and quickly looked up his butler-slash-grandfather "W-Wally's here?"

"Yes sir. I believe he's here for your so-called  _Game Night_ " Despite the monotone delivery, Dick knew that Alfred was entertained by his sputtering. Robin hurriedly thanked him and rushed over to the kitchen.

And there was Wally, stuffing his face with cookies.

"Mff hmmfff" KF said as he waved his hand. He swallowed with some difficulty but managed.

"Hey dude" He said much more clearly this time

"Hey KF, what are you…?"

"Oh you know, just enjoying Alfred's cookies… I swear man, every bite into these soft chocolatey goods is a preview of paradise" KF replied as he reached for another handful. He quickly munched on his snacks and then zipped on to the huge fridge in search of milk. The speedster was here often enough that he easily located a tall glass and his desired beverage.

"No, I meant… what are you doing here?" Dick asked as he watched KF down an entire glass. Wally, on the other hand, looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"Dude, it's game night. Isn't it?" Wally replied with a carefree smile and a shy scratch on his head.

Robin felt like crying at the simplicity of that statement and subsequently felt like hitting himself for being such a girl. Instead, he gave a cocky grin and directed Wally to their usual gaming station. Together, they brought in their snacks and drinks. Two, maybe three, maybe four, hours were spent in verbal jabs and button mashing. Occasionally, they would resort to physical cheats such as sitting on one another or shoving ones foot up the other person's face or stealing the controller. Eventually though, Wally demanded a bathroom break and Dick couldn't help but tease him. The only break the speedster needed was from getting his butt-kicked. He received a smelly sock thrown his way at that comment.

Speedsters and smelly socks, ugh! The horror!

"KF, are you trying to melt my face off!?" Robin exclaimed as he held the sock far  _far_  away. Wally just guffawed in reply as he made his way to the bathroom. Dick threw the chemical weapon away with a laugh and proceeded to refocus his attentions to the game.

He began to choose his characters for the next match. The sudden ringtone of Wally's phone interrupted his planning however. He reached over absentmindedly. Barry was probably calling to check up on them. He was about to call Kid Flash over when he caught sight of the caller I.D.

" _Sam"_

Just like that, Robin's good mood evaporated.

Why was she calling? It was 2:07 a.m. for crying out loud. Who in the world calls at 2:07 a.m.?!

Well Dick did… but that was when he was having nightmares. Was she having a nightmare? Doubtful. What could her greatest fear be? The stock of cherry red lip gloss running out?

Robin glared at the phone, quietly debating with himself. The moral dilemma of rejecting the call and erasing it from history was tempting—more tempting than he felt comfortable with. Before he could make a decision, the  _wrong_  one, he heard Wally zipping back.

"KF, your phone" he said evenly as he offered the speedster his mobile. Wally looked surprised before taking it with thanks. His best friend sat back down beside him and Dick pretended to be caught up in picking his tag team.

This was how the night was going to end wasn't it? With him changing characters and Wally talking busily on the phone. He was completely immersed in his sulking that it took the game loudly announcing "Fight!" to bring him back. At that point, it was too late.

"You Win!" the console announced a few moments afterward. It was showing Law's victory dance as Wally laughed by his side. The speedster was gloating at how easy that had been. "Dude, I thought you said Jin and Yoshimitsu was your invincible pair. Well my Nina-Law certainly kicked their butts!"

The fact that Wally was still here, still playing with him and not off flirting with his girlfriend was taking a while to fully settle in. But once it did, he couldn't stop the wide grin on his face.

"Please KF, I was distracted! I'll show—"

"Master Dick, Master Wallace I believe it is past your bed times" Both teens jumped at the sound of Alfred's scolding voice. Simultaneously, they turned around to face the much older gentleman. Their faces were in prime puppy-dog position, eyes large, and lips quivering. Usually, this tactic was able to sway anyone, even Batman at times, but this was  _Alfred_ , and Alfred had no such qualms against ignoring their manipulations

Both boys sighed in dismay and eventually began to fix up despite Alfred's insistence that he could do that himself. Hey, if Alfred wasn't about to let them play then they sure as hell weren't going to leave him alone to clean up.

Dick was washing the dishes while Wally was beside him drying with a clean towel. Earlier on, the speedster had teasingly commented that Robin's pampered hands couldn't handle the cold water. Dick had responded with flicking copious amounts of soapy water at the redhead; which explained why the red locks of hair had bubbles here and there.

"So, KF, I never got to ask, what happened on your date?" Dick asked. His good mood seemed indestructible as he began to wash away cookie crumbs off a plate.

"It ended pretty great actually. After I called you there was a minor setback, but it practically fixed itself" Wally said as he set down a plate that he had finished. He picked another one before adding "…I couldn't shake off this feeling that someone was watching me though"

There was a half second pause on Dick's end before his training kicked in and he kept washing. However, he was sure that Wally saw his little slip up because he was a speedster and because he was Wally.

"Really? What makes you say that?" He asked as he handed the plate over. Hurriedly, he dried off his hands as he turned around. Walking to the countertop, he began to throw away the clutter of wrappers and emptied packets of chips. Dick was determinedly not looking at the speedster. Was Wally mad?

"Weeeeell, I don't know. Call it...  _intuition_."

Dick hummed in reply as he then began to pack up their leftovers. The saran wrap in his hands was not cooperating though. The constant tearing and sticking was resolutely fighting his efforts to appear whelmed. There was a brief shuffling of feet that ended up beside him. A pale hand appeared to place something on the table's surface. He looked down to find his makeshift transmitter.

Robin narrowed his eyes at the offending item. The betrayal of the small device was a painful hit to his ego. He had counted on the device breaking off after programming it to dismantle itself once he left the premises. Instead, here it was, the evidence of his meddling mocking him right at his face.

It was a rookie mistake.

The ebony haired boy didn't have the courage to look up at the speedster. Wally  _knew_.

"Why?" The redhead's voice was calm and collected.

Dick pulled on the edges of the plastic wrap nervously and replied "I was…worried"

He glanced up to find a red eyebrow raised in anticipation. Wally's face was an open book; his eyes were practically idiot boards telling other people exactly what he was thinking or how he was feeling. The open look had the Boy Wonder explaining without further prompting.

"I heard her, remember? Back when we were in my room. She mentioned science homework and that raised a few alarm bells"

"Ohhh" KF replied. His face was scrunched up in thought before he asked "I still don't get it though. Why go through all that trouble to break them apart? How did you even know what to do?"

The young bird took his carefully packaged leftovers and walked to the fridge. He smiled ruefully as he opened the door.

"I did a little background check" He said as he laid down the platter of spare cookies. Alfred really knew how to manage speedster appetite with leftovers to spare

The shiny aluminum fridge surface reflected the image of the redhead and Robin used it to watch the emotions play out on the freckled face. The older boy had narrowed his eyes at the admission but he was still curious and Dick felt like he owed him the explanation.

"It wasn't difficult really" He said as he leaned smugly back against the fridge "Varnell was a ticking time bomb who based his entire identity on his football status. Setting him off didn't require much work, especially with the help of Pullman. Dear-old-Danny had some rumors spreading that he… played for the other team. Some senior students, particularly the football team got wind of it and decided to play a prank involving the shower and a really short tight dress. Varnell took no part in it, but he didn't stop it either"

KF looked scandalized at his words. But before the speedster could interrupt, before he lost the heart to confess, he continued on.

"The Stone twins have some financial troubles; which as you probably now know, can't exactly support their high fashion lifestyle. Meredith on the other hand, was an old schoolmate from Gotham. She was several pounds heavier but was also filthy rich. Between transferring from Gotham to Central, she lost the excess weight through… unsavory means. Gossip boards were aflame with reports on it. I traced the rumors to one Lila Stone. Apparently, on the first day of school, the two had a screaming match"

"Dick…" Wally interjected. The slight tone of disappointment had Dick flinching and he crossed his arms in front of him defensively.

"As for Sam, she was a perfectionist. The pride of the Peterson family, she had high expectations tacked onto her grades, extracurriculars and blooming social life. Unfortunately, science was never her forte and she was desperate enough. All it took was one thing to go astray… all that pressure had to go somewhere"

After a moment of silence, the young acrobat stubbornly repeated "I was worried"

KF shook his head at the comment and Robin had to look away.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

Dick pouted. He wanted to lash out but kept his mouth shut in self preservation instead. A few more seconds of silence had him biting on his lip before Wally finally reached out to him.

"Dick… you do know you can talk to me right?" the speedster asked him with concern evident on his face "If you were worried whether or not I'd believe you over some girl then…" Wally began a long tirade on how Robin was in the wrong but also how much he meant to him. His words were gentle yet firm as he carefully explained how he was a firm believer in the bros before ho's principle and how the young bird didn't have to worry so much. Statements about wildberry chocolate shakes and spring rolls were interjected here and there, but the main point stood.

Wally was… comforting him? That… made no sense. Dick was the one who willfully exacted his revenge, he was the one in the wrong. Having the redhead apologize was just…

" _Damn speedsters and their impossibly forgiving nature"_

"KF, stop!" he said and the speedster looked to him mouth agape in midrant. "It wasn't your fault.  _I'm_  sorry" In a small voice he added "I was… jealous"

The manor was huge but had the advantage, or in this case, disadvantage of very good acoustics. Robin's small voice reverberated out. Loud and clear.

Wally's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't expect that at all. Now, he couldn't stop turning as red as his hair. On the plus side, Dick was doing the same. Both boys shifted awkwardly until eventually Wally simple said

"Wow"

Dick raised an eyebrow at this and couldn't stop himself from saying "Seriously  _Wallace_? ' _Wow'_?"

"Hey!" KF exclaimed as he reached out to the other boy. Robin moved just out of reach. They shared guarded mischievous looks before they both  _moved_. All of the sudden, the two heroes found themselves rough-housing in the kitchen. Giggles echoed out as they sprayed one another with water, used kitchen towelletes as makeshift whips and occasionally squirted up some dish washing soap.

Eventually Wally found himself holding the large container of flour over his head, as he walked menacingly towards the younger boy. Dick was holding a frying pan protectively over his chest, his other hand waving a battered banana dangerously. They couldn't stop snickering.

"You're going down Boy Wonderful!"

"Come and try Kid Klutz!"

"Prepared to be breaded Birdboy!"

"That's rich coming from you KF-C!"

"Master Richard, Master Wallace!"

Both boys froze at the sound and they slowly lowered their weapons. They turned to see Alfred by the kitchen entrance. He was thoroughly unimpressed by the messy display of soap bubbles and twisted up towelettes. Green eyes met blue before they both hurriedly pointed to the other.

"He started it!" they exclaimed.

Alfred merely raised an eyebrow at that and Dick nervously squeezed the banana in his hand. The skin ripped open and the fruit was a projectile in the air, landing with a  _thunk_  on Kid Flash's shoulder. Both of them had to bite their lips to keep from laughing before Dick apologized and assured Alfred that they were going to clean up. He gave the speedster a significant look and the redhead replied with a quick salute before speeding off. Unfortunately, the floor was slippery from all the lemon-scented soap and he ended up slipping. The container of flour went flying, a replay of the day's previous events.

Both boys ducked down instinctively until they heard a loud clang. They tentatively raised their heads to look over the countertops. The kitchen was covered in a healthy coat of flour, soap and water. Alfred was sporting white crumb couture.

They would've laughed if it weren't so terrifying.

The butler-slash-grandfather-slash- _worst-nightmare_  exhaled a deep breath before calmly ' _requesting'_  the both of them to get to sleep. The pranksters didn't need to be told twice and they quickly escaped the scene of the crime. Once they were out of range, they began to laugh. The cackling snorts reverberated in the manor's large foyer. The high-pitched squeals and giggles as well as the light of early sunrise streaming through the high skylights, gave the place a warm homey feeling.

Eventually, their laughter dwindled down to playful smirks thrown at each other. It was all so comforting but Robin couldn't just forget their previous discussion.

Once they were at the foot of the main staircase, Dick turned to his friend.

"KF"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you still mad?" Dick asked as he hopelessly dusted himself off.

Wally shrugged before responding. "Not really. I mean… I wasn't really mad in the first place. I guess I can understand" the freckled boy turned his way and gave him a lopsided smile. There was a patch of white on KF's nose that gave Robin the idea of calling him Rudolph, the white nosed speedster. Instead, he smiled shyly in return. Not the trademark shit-eating grin, just a smile.

"What about that call though?" the little bird asked, he supposed he might as well get everything out.

"What call?" KF tilted his head at the question. The blue-eyed boy rolled his eyes.

"You know, Sam's call while we were playing…"

"What about it?" KF inquired, still not getting where the question was heading. They both began to climb the stairs and Dick resisted throttling the redhead for being so obtuse.

"What did she want?"

"Oh, she wanted to talk about something—something—lip gloss" KF replied, waving his hand dismissively

Dick stopped at that and looked at his friend, puzzled. "If she wanted to talk then why…?"

"Dude, we were having our bro-time. I'm not about to let anyone come between bro-time" Wally replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It wasn't worded eloquently. It didn't have the usual clichés and it came out in an exasperated tone. Still, Dick felt his heart swell in warmth.

"C'mon man, let's go get some sleep before Alfred calls down Daddybats on us" KF called out to him as he offered his hand. The speedster had that ridiculous smile on his face.

Robin let out an exasperated chuckle; he didn't know what he was so worried about. This was Wally, his best friend. Despite being the oblivious goofball who made the lamest puns, had the smelliest feet, and could eat anyone into poverty, Wally knew how to take care of others. Wally West was loyal to a fault and he would always have Robin's back.  _Always_.

Dick reached for his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes "Don't Mess With My Chicky". I hope you guys enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Thanks so much to everybody who read, faved, followed and commented. You guys are awesome! Plus, you made an unbearable week much more asterous! ^U^
> 
> Some random tidbits, my favorite team in Streetfighter vs. Tekken is actually Yoshimutsu-Law XD and my preferred race is Wood Elf. If I was to pick races for each of the YJ characters I'd say…Dick would be a Dark Elf; Wally a Khajiit; Conner would be a Nord; M'gann a Breton; Artemis a Wood Elf; and Kaldur an Argonian (Haha! I cheated with the obvious choice XDDD)
> 
> Thanks again, see ya guys around!


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